Departments

Ever wonder why today's laptop computers weigh less than a paperback book but are just as durable? Or how coffee grounds can be turned into fuel for cars? These are innovations made possible by materials scientists and chemical engineers. This specialty of engineering manipulates the properties of existing materials and chemicals and creates entirely new ones in hopes of improving society's quality of life.

Not many degree programs allow you to use something as large as an earthquake simulator to conduct your studies. But civil and environmental engineering students do just that. Well-versed in building structures, roads and bridges as well as limiting harmful environmental impact, graduates of this degree program are prepared to handle the nation's increasing demand for infrastructure projects such as expanded transportation, water supply and pollution control systems.

Impressed that your smartphone can tell which songs are your favorite based on how often you play them? You might want to thank a computer scientist or computer engineer. Computer science and engineering students can pursue a range of specializations, including video game development, artificial intelligence and network systems. Graduates of our program are especially marketable to potential employers because of their versatility with software as well as hardware.

A quick appreciation for electrical and biomedical engineers is developed with an x-ray or MRI in the emergency room. Yet innovation in health care is only one of the ways this profession contributes to the world. In addition to gaining proficiency in all things electrical, students in this program are challenged to develop senior projects that could potentially be taken to market.

Mechanical engineers have their hands in a lot of projects, creating and improving everything from cars to copy machines. In this degree program, students build and program robots made of Legos starting their freshman year. With a determined spirit, they build and test their machines until they work just as desired. By senior year, students are designing capstone projects that solve real-world problems.